


Perfect

by KawaiiKeres



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/M, POV Alternating, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 10:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiKeres/pseuds/KawaiiKeres
Summary: 'Perfect' they kept using that word. He used to love that word. He'd strive for perfection, demanding it from all that worked under him. Now though the word made him tense at best. It wasn't right. They were wrong. This wasn't perfect.
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> It's half an hour before season four drops and I was rewatching the last two episodes of SPOP when I thought 'What was Hordak's perfect world like?'. This might just be my shipper senses but I decided his perfect world wouldn't be so perfect. Because it'd be missing someone.

“Everything's perfect, Lord Hordak.” The armored soldier before him reassured, holding out files and papers to prove their words. The alien leader snatched the papers from the soldier, they flinched back in fear before standing at attention again. He scanned the files, he vaguely remembered being informed of these plans. The files informed him of their flawless victory over the rebels, how the troops were led by a young cadet that he felt he should care more about. He should care about the take over of Thaymor, he should be excited that they were encroaching upon the Rebels' territory. They were moving ever closer to Bright Moon and heading for a flawless victory. “The invasion of Thaymor went perfectly-”

Perfect. Everyone was using that word today. It seemed that was the only word people knew to describe anything about the day. Why was that word so irritating to him? Why did it feel _wrong_? His head flashed with pain, images of purple and green flash in his head. When he opens his eyes again he immediately looks towards his sanctum.

Their leader's lack of attention is evident to the soldier. He's never been this distracted before, he should be celebrating like everyone else. Perhaps not as much as everyone else he was always a big picture type after all and this was only a small victory. But still the soldier couldn't help noticing the lack of reaction at this news. No anger, no excitement, no nothing. “Sir, Hordak? Is everything okay?”

The soldiers question brings Hordak from his thoughts, red eyes snap to stare down on his underling. He glares for several tense seconds before sighing, standing to his feet and descending the stairs away from his throne. “Don't stand here wasting my time, get back to work. Everything is perfect...”

Even his scolding lacks to usual distaste he'd use against someone who he truly saw as 'wasting his time'. It sounds simply cold. The soldier doesn't stand by to ask questions though they quickly leave the room.

Imp sits atop the throne watching his master wander towards the door to his sanctum. The door doesn't open as it normally should, instead it remains shut in the leaders face. Hordak slams his hand against the wall next to the door which cause Imp to hide behind the throne. They poke their head back out to watch their master. Yet their eyes land on the throne instead. Staring down at the now empty throne things change before their very eyes. The once empty throne is suddenly filled by Hordak's body with a purple haired stranger sitting on the arm beside him they quiet room is filled with chatter from an unknown voice for a split second. The image flashes in Imp's mind for only a second before a pain hits the small creature causing it to cry out in pain, falling off the top of the throne and onto the seat.

Hordak spins around to see what has caused the creature to shriek. The throne room is empty except for Imp that who on his throne, clutching their head as though they've been struck by a bright light directly to their eyes.

“What is the meaning of this?” Hordak demands approaching his throne to see what is wrong with the creature. Though his tone is stern his act like that of an angered ruler a part of him does feel a genuine concern for the creature. He shouldn't have cared for the creature, it was a failure after all. One of his first attempts to clone a body for himself. It had grown though, developing a small mind of it's own and if Hordak were to be honest a part of him was fond of the creature's presence. He grabbed the creature holding it as one would a child still glaring at them. Not from an anger at them but an anger at himself. How could he be so soft? How could he care for something _imperfect_...

“Imperfect is beautiful!” A voice he didn't recognize echoed through the throne room. He held Imp closer to himself, spinning around to see who had said that. He didn't know the voice but he felt like he should recognize it. Something inside of him told him that he knew the owner of those words.

“Reveal yourself!” He commanded glaring around the empty room. No one was there, nothing was off. Everything was _perfect_. He took a deep breath in then let it out again. He had to be hearing things that was the only explanation. Perhaps it was an echo from further in the castle. He looked back down to the creature who was now uncovering their head to sit up. Imp looked around the room wildly, flying out of his arms and sniffing the air before landing next to the throne sniffing it. They stopped to place a small hand against the side of the hard cold metal side, it didn't smell right. They turned shrieking at Hordak

“What?” he snapped in response stepping up to the throne to investigate. Imp started climbing on the side of the throne sniffing it more then tapping it with their fist. They shrieked again as the arm moved suddenly. Not in the way as if someone had moved the chair but as though it were simply taken from it's place disappearing into nothing for a second then very quickly put back there. Imp jumped off the arm flying into the air to hide behind a rafter as far from the throne as they could get. Hordak stumbled back a moment, staring in shock at the throne before placing his hand upon it. It felt fine. Cold, sturdy, the perfect place to over see his workings. But something was certainly off and for a split second he thought he could see what.

His vision changed from standing infront of the throne, to sitting on it. His chin rested against the top of his hand as he stared into pink eyes. A purple haired woman sat on the throne beside him, sitting on the arm rest like that was where she meant to be. She was talking about something. It felt important but he couldn't remember, he couldn't even remember who this woman was. But she felt different nothing like his underlings. He didn't feel disgust at touching her, annoyance from listening to her or anger that she dared take a spot on HIS throne. He felt pleasant almost...

Then reality set back in, he stumbled back from the throne howling in pain as his head from like it would split open. Imp yelped, flying down to his side to see what had caused his master such pain. Hordak opened his eyes, staring at the empty throne again. Something wasn't right and he had to find out what.

He turned away from the throne and from Imp, heading for the exit. He needed to get to his sanctum, surely he'd be able to find answers there. He stopped a moment glancing towards a wall that was now empty. It was off too. Wasn't there a doorway there before? He could have sworn there was a a more direct path to his sanctum.

He brushed those thoughts off. They weren't important right now. He was most likely just confused or mistaken. An image flashed in his mind, that same purple haired woman stared back at him through a closing door. He couldn't think of this right now. He forced his feet to move, tried to brush past whatever was happening in his head. He had more important things to do.

The walk to his sanctum did seem further then he remembered. He didn't remember passing so many windows on his way there either. Nor passing so many soldiers. They all jumped to attention when he passed, acted on their known orders out of fear when they saw him coming. Yet when he passed them or before they saw him, they all seemed so jovial. They were doing as they were supposed too of course. He'd have their heads if they weren't. They never acted like this, never were they so excited for a victory like this. Even if it was a fairly major victory. Before they could silence themselves when he passed he could hear them whispering. 'Perfect' they kept using that word. He used to love that word. He'd strive for perfection, demanding it from all that worked under him. Now though the word made him tense at best. It wasn't right. They were wrong. This wasn't perfect.

He tried not to focus on the conversations of his underlings. Instead turning to look out the windows. He saw others soldiers at work outside, training for their next mission and preparing for when they would have to fight again. When would that be? They were going to attack Salineas Gate soon. Next week, that was the plan. No...

He stops staring out the window at an army of robots practicing amongst soldiers. Round machines shooting lasers at their targets and moving with matching grace of their human counterparts. Another flash of an image. A round robot like the ones outside that beeped and sparked like it would break at any moment. One of it's three legs stuck and unlike the red sensor the other machines had, this one held a purple sensor. “Look at Emily for example.”

That voice again. He turned trying to find it, spinning around and hitting a soldier who happened to be passing by too closely. The soldier hit the wall of the narrow hallway, rubbing their helmet before looking up to their leader. Immediately they scrambled to their feet, saluting their leader and apologizing for getting in their leader's way. Hordak stared at the soldier wide eyed, breathing deeply as he tried to figure out what he was seeing. He narrowed his eyes, something wasn't right again. The sky outside was only slightly brighter then before. “What time is it?”

“It's 0600 sir! I apologize again for running into you! I simply wanted to get to my station for the attack on Salineas Gate, sir!” The soldier wasted no time in their explanation, giving more information that Hordak had requested. The information didn't make sense though. They weren't supposed to attack Salineas Gate until next week. A week couldn't have passed by with him just standing at the window. Unless... Time was slipping.

He moved past the soldier not bothering to dismiss them or even acknowledge that they'd ran into him. Imp followed behind chattering in attempts to grab their masters' attention. Something was very wrong, they could feel it too.

Something was wrong with his sanctum. Hordak could tell the instant he stepped into the hallway leading to the sanctum. Memories that didn't fit as they felt they should kept coming back. He could see a green portal trying to open and failing. The purple haired woman working on the portal, telling him to 'hold on a second'. Speaking to him as though his command for her to leave was merely a suggestion. Questions. He was starting to understand what these memories were saying. They were questions, specifically questions from her. All about the portal, other worlds, about him. The visions were starting to hurt. His head was aching. He held a hand to it feeling like he might topple over from these memories. He stopped for only a second to get his bearings before standing up straight once more. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. If they knew he was weak they'd-

Help him. She was helping him now, offering him food, catching him when he fell and figuring out what he was without him even telling her. What were these memories? They made no sense. Who was this and why did he feel like he knew her? Why did he feel both happy with these memories and hurt? He hated this. If he could just get to his Sanctum he'd figure it all out. Had the hallway to his Sanctum always been this long? It felt like he'd been walking for hours or even days. Another round of 'perfect's echoed through his head. No. This wasn't perfect, this was far from perfect.

Approaching the sanctum he suddenly stopped halfway there. It was empty. Far more empty then felt right. He remembered it being clean and yes barren before. But not as empty as now. Something was missing from it, some wasn't-

“Imperfect is beautiful. At least to me.” There was the voice again and now he could see what was wrong. The portal wasn't there, he'd been working on it for so long, it was his only chance for perfection. And it was gone! He ran to get closer but that familiar voice slowed him down once more.

“You shouldn't be upset that you're not perfect.” Her purple hair was working on something. She was calling herself a failure. She wasn't a failure! He knew that much...

Imp ran ahead of him into the sanctum, chittering and screeching about something. He wasn't sure what, he didn't care what. He was far too distracted by these thoughts and by the events of this day? Week? He couldn't even tell time anymore. In the sanctum everything was back to normal. No. Not normal. _Perfect_. Imp sat atop his desk sniffing around it for something. Hordak looked to the small creature noticing an unfamiliar speck of red amongst the darkness behind the desk. He growled as his only warning to who or whatever it was back there. He didn't have time for this or them and did it really matter?

It was adding up in his head, he was figuring it all out. He approached one of the cloning tanks, staring at his own reflection. This wasn't his preferred armor. This was his old armor, his inferior armor. His lab partner had made him something better, something more suitable for him. Something more powerful. From what? His hand instinctively reached up touching his collar. A name, he had a name now. It all came rushing back. Why this perfect world wasn't perfect. Why this reality didn't suite him. He was missing something. No someone. He was missing “Entrapta...”

With an utterance of her name, the memories of her came flooding back. He could see it fully now. The world was collapsing around him, turning white and fading to nothing. He had no where to go, no where to run, Imp was clinging to him and howling with fear. The world that was perfect was far from perfect and he'd only realized what was missing after it was too late.


End file.
